Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-03-17

them and dragged them off into cap
tivity, to be leased. shouted at and
squabhed over. They were unpleas-
antly frank in their comments, too.
And among other things they told
Lalage-Jane she was as ugly as her
name. That was no news to her; she
had often heard her mother lament
that the girl should be the ugly one.
As for her name-she knew that her
father had given her the first and her
mother the second half of it; she did
not know, however. that he had
called her Lalage in sheer delight at
flying in the face of usage. and that her
mother had tackled on the Jane as a
desperate effort to reduced it to respect
ability.
At last she escaped from her perse-
cutors and took refuge with Mrs. Aims
worth and Mrs. Ainsworth's unmarried
sister; but they stopped talking. and
presently one of them called her poor
child" and asked why she did not run
away and play?
Lalage-Jane obeyed the hint-and
how glad she was on the following
afternoon when they came within sight
of their gate. .Father'n be waitin' at
the steps for u.s. she said to Jimmie,
with laugh. "You know we never
told him goodbye" But he was not
there. Only nanny came to meet
them, and they Were taken into their
mothers room, where the shut
tiers were all bowed. She kissed them
Lalage-Jane once and Jimmie dozen
times-and then nanny put them
out of the room, with parting order to
make no noise. Mr.. Ainsworth stayed
behind.
when he comes OUT" Lalage-Jane
was thinking, and at that moment he
came. He nodded carelessly to the
child and began to descend the steps,
but she stopped him with a timid
question::
eff you please. sir want to know
where father is?''
Your fatherr' Mr.. Ainsworth said,
looking at her uncomfortably. What a
plain child she was, and-shade of
watched him with a steady, unchildish
look. That was the worst of his call
ing. All his own ills and all the ills of
other people!
my child" he said, and then he
hesitated little. Her mother was
the proper person to tell her. 1t was
too bad to thrust such thing upon
him. He had done his part when he
shielded the children from a sight that
would have stood like nightmare be-
tween them and their fathers memory
all their days. ''My child" he began
again. Unconsciously he fell into his
favorite pulpit attitude--his hand a lit
tie extended, and his sweet, mellow
voice-his voice was perpetual delight
to improperly subdued:
''He has gone to that undiscovered
country from whose bourne no traveller
returns.
Lalage-Jane looked at him in wonder
and Indignation. You mean he's
gone travelin' an won't come back?''
she asked; and then she laughed. -'You
don't know! He'd never stay away
from Jimmie and mei''
Mr.. Ainsworth glanced back at the
child as he rode away.
''She will be as peculiar as her father
was, and newell! he had the courage
of his opinions. When he had had
enough of this life he gave himself his
quietus. Unlucky? Unlucky was not
the name for him! And then to invest
his whole fortune in boat. Of course
it blew upn'
Yet when George Garrison heard the
news of his ruin the men around re-
membered how we'll he bore it. He
rode quietly out of town, but he never
reached home. The first driver who
passed along the road saw stifiened
figure swaying in the gray morning
light. He had hung himself with his
bridle-rein.
But the little daughter still waited
for his return. Every morning hel
first question was: fIE
''Has-has he come yet, mammy?''
And nanny would shake her head
and say:
Law. no, chilcr'
my min misgivc me sometime dat
1 ought 'er tell her." the old woman
would say in melancholy gossip with
Aunt Winney, the cook; ''but it'll &C
nigh to break her heart, she was dat
wropped up in 'er paw! An dar's hel
NAV a not takin' no notice O. nuthin'
but jes' a-cryin' an a-cryin!"
One day a s,range gentleman came
LISA, the under-nurse, said he was {
lawyer. When he was gone Lalage
Jane ventured into her mothers room
and begged to know what made hel
cry. Mrs. Garrison raised her prett,
babyish face with an irritated move
ment.
Its money" she said THAT,
what is the matter.
Money! Was that all? Lalage-Jart